The present invention relates to cellulosic films such as sausage casings and processes for making foodstuffs such as sausages using such casings.
Sausages and their manufacture are well known the world over. In the past degradation and weakening of cellulose casing due to hydrolysis of the cellulose by cellulase enzymes produced by naturally occurring molds and bacteria has been a problem in sausage manufacture. Several inventions have been made to minimize or eliminate this hydrolysis e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,320 (Chiu et al) discloses coating the interior and exterior surfaces of a tubular sausage casing with at least 0.45% by weight of a cured cationic thermosetting resin to provide resistance to enzymatic degradation of the casing. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,403 (Hammer et al) discloses making casing resistant to mold fungus by coating with glycerol monolaurate and an emulsifier.
Still there is a continuing need for improved casings and processes for making such casings which have improved resistance to cellulase degradation.